In other words, an elementary commodity is either a primary commodity or a savings placement.
1. The primary commodity is one of the two kinds of elementary commodity.
The primary commodity consists only of the services exchanged by the workers for wages. This last specification, "against wages", is however only quite true when the economic concept of wage is taken from the legal framework where it is amputated by the criterion of the relationship of subordination38. All the names given to the remuneration of labor are wages, economically speaking. Wages, attendance fees, freelancing in some cases are, among other things, wages. Freelancing in other cases and the fees of the liberal professions are gross revenue. A doctor, a lawyer, an architect, etc., allocates part of this turnover to the remuneration of his labor, i.e. to his wage and, if applicable, to those of his employees. The employer of a "self-employed" worker is his or her enterprise.
2. On the economic scene, actors frequently play several roles.
In the past, distinguishing the landowning class from the capitalists and the working class was in accordance with social reality. Since then, assigning these roles to categories of the population has appeared to be less and less in line with the facts. Employees Workers are also employers of domestic staff. Their role as employers is nevertheless distinct from their role as employees. Workers are also shareholders. Their role as shareholders is nevertheless distinct from their role as employees, as well as from their role as customers of enterprises and taxpayers.
3. In economic analysis, it is better not to consider that every set aside constitutes "savings".
Layaways made by an individual and an enterprise are only apparently comparable to each other. A household's hoarding is savings, but they do not invest.
4. In the first approach, let's only call savings those of these layaways that are made by individuals.
When an individual invests in exchange for interest or profits, it is in his role as a saver that he becomes a supplier of one of the two kinds of elementary commodity. If we look more closely, we will note in the rest of the previous chapter the existence of a different category of savers than individuals39.
5. The initial creators of economic wealth, i.e. of economic exchange value, are individuals.
Of course, organizations, including enterprises, are essential means of this creation. But it is the industrious abilities of a population that are first and foremost at the origin of its prosperity, which does not prevent many bosses from affirming that enterprises are the only creators of economic wealth — propaganda, when you hold us.